Qatar Railways Company announced that it signed an agreement to procure 35 additional trains for the Doha Metro project, making the total number of trains serving the project 110. The agreement was signed at the Ministry of Transport and Communications in the presence of His Excellency Jassim Saif Ahmed Al Sulaiti, Minister of Transport and Communications, His Excellency Hassan Al Thawadi, Secretary General of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, Eng. Abdulla Abdulaziz Al Subaie, Qatar Rail's Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Hideki Hatai Director, Member of the Board, The Kinki Sharyo Co., Ltd and representatives from both companies.

The additional trains will serve to increase the capacity of the metro system, especially when Qatar hosts the FIFA World Cup 2022, which is expected to attract over a million visitor during the tournament. The trains will also serve the future expansion of the Doha Metro lines, which Qatar Rail intends to carry out after the implementation of Phase 1 of the metro project.

On this occasion, His Excellency Jassim Saif Ahmed Al Sulaiti, Minister of Transport and Communications, stated: "The Doha Metro project is one of the most important pillars of the comprehensive transport plan that we seek to achieve. This step will enhance the metro network's capacity to transport a large number of individuals, which will in turn support the public transport network, especially when Qatar hosts the FIFA World Cup 2022, during which there will be high demand on the public transport systems."

Meanwhile, His Excellency Hassan Al Thawadi, Secretary General of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, said: "Qatar Rail's projects will undoubtedly contribute to the provision of an exceptional experience for fans and visitors during the FIFA World Cup 2022. This project will not only facilitate their transport between stadiums, places of residence and touristic sites, but it will also provide them world-class services that will enrich their overall experience during this mega event. Furthermore, this project is considered a crucial pillar that contributes to economic development in the state of Qatar, to meet the community's needs, achieve long-term economic diversity and move towards accomplishing Qatar National Vision 2030."

For his part, Eng. Abdulla Abdulaziz Al Subaie, Qatar Rail's Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, said: "One of the most important goals of the Doha Metro is to provide a rapid transport network with widespread coverage between cities, especially when Qatar hosts the FIFA World Cup 2022. The increase in the number of trains serving the Doha Metro project will undoubtedly boost the network's capacity and decrease time spent between trips. Moreover, providing a comprehensive and seamless transport experience for visitors and crowds during this mega event. In addition, this strategic move will contribute to the achievement of the project's long-term goals represented in the expansion of the current lines to reach farther areas."

Mowasalat– A joint cooperation with Qatar Rail to offer Taxi fare promotions to metro passengers for their first and last mile journeys…

A joint cooperation agreement was signed with Mowasalat to provide transport services for metro passengers through their taxi services "Karwa". Under this agreement, special discounts will be offered to metro passengers who book a taxi to take them from and to Doha Metro stations.

Eng. Abdulla Abdulaziz Al Subaie, Qatar Rail's Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, stated: "This agreement comes as a part of Qatar Rail's first and last mile strategy, through which the company aims to provide comprehensive solutions to complete the full transportation cycle for the metro users and provide them with a seamless experience in order to boost metro ridership and paving the way to achive our vision to be the favoured mode of transport in Qatar."

In this regard, Khalid Nasser al-Hail, Mowasalat Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, stated: This MOU signing between the two major stakeholders Doha Metro & Mowasalat-Karwa, seals the bonding and relationship to deliver together integrated transport services for the State of Qatar. This is a first major step in accomplishing our principals and MOTC's vision of providing integrated sustainable transport solutions to every citizen, visitors & guests. With this, we are confident of giving an "Enhanced Public Transport Customer Experience", complimenting each other's services, besides increase in ridership. This will also enable in easing the flow of traffic distributed across the state of Qatar with varied options to commute.

Mr. Khaled Kafoud, Mowaslat's Government Relations Manager mentioned that "This will encourage the residents & visitors to use public transport even under severe weather conditions since the Karwa taxi can bring the customer to the Doha Metro station, which is their other mode of travel. This ensures connectivity and reduced waiting time besides making the overall journey smooth and pleasant. This is likely to change the culture of dependency on private car usage and contribute to reducing traffic congestion.

It is worth noting that Mowasalat's taxi fleet of 3,500 is supported by home grown applications & technology enriching customer experience through its call center.

Regarding the latest project updates, Qatar Rail recently announced that the progress of Doha Metro Phase 1 Program now stands at approximately 90%. Furthermore, civil works have been completed at all stations. It is also worth noting that MEP and Architectural works are progressing at all 37 stations.